Deputy Executive Director-Activation & Commissioning

Salary range is $210k to $340k, with a midpoint of $275k. New hires typically receive between minimum and midpoint, however, we may go slightly higher based on experience, internal equity and market.

Sound Transit also offers a competitive benefits package with a wide range of offerings, including:

• Health Benefits: We offer two choices of medical plans, a dental plan, and a vision plan all at no cost for employee coverage; comprehensive benefits for employees and eligible dependents, including a spouse or domestic partner.
• Long-Term Disability and Life Insurance.
• Employee Assistance Program.
• Retirement Plans: 401a - 10% of employee contribution with a 12% match by Sound Transit; 457b - up to IRS maximum (employee only contribution).
• Paid Time Off: Employees accrue 25 days of paid time off annually with increases at four, eight and twelve years of service. Employees at the director level and up accrue additional days. We also observe 12 paid holidays and provide up to 2 paid floating holidays and up to 2 paid volunteer days per year.
• Parental Leave: 12 weeks of parental leave for new parents.
• Pet Insurance.
• ORCA Card: All full-time employees will receive an ORCA card at no cost.
• Tuition Reimbursement: Sound Transit will pay up to $5,000 annually for approved tuition expenses.
• Inclusive Reproductive Health Support Services.
• Compensation Practices: We offer competitive salaries based on market rates and internal equity. In addition to compensation and benefits, you'll find that we provide work-life balance, opportunities for professional development and recognition from your colleagues.

GENERAL PURPOSE:

The position resides within the broader context of the newly created ATO (Asset Transition Office) division which consists of Systems Integrated Testing, Operational Readiness and Transition, Transit Expansion and Activation. This office was created to ensure a more coordinated systematic approach to activation activities by bringing an independent and objective view into our agency's and partners' readiness to begin new service.

This position requires close partnership with peers within ATO and across the agency, including project leadership, safety, operations, information technology, service planning, passenger experience, and portfolio services. Together with peers, this position will lead a team and the agency through the activation phase of project delivery through a continuous improvement mindset, incorporation of industry best practices, and strategically deliver new assets in to service that fulfill the agency's service commitments to the region. This role leads a team accountable for activating several new rail extensions and other support transit assets including ensuring appropriate testing and commissioning of new assets perform to meet service expectations. This includes managing and maintaining activation and commissioning agency programs, plans, and procedures in alignment with broader agency standards to support asset performance and achievement of safety and revenue service requirements, including all necessary training, plans, programs, and procedures to satisfy requirements are in place prior to revenue service.

The Deputy Executive Director will also coordinate with Sound Transit's light rail operator King County Metro (KCM) Rail Division personnel through the Sound Transit Operations. As the operator, KCM is invested in providing adequate resources to the commissioning, testing and start-up efforts. The candidate must be comfortable working within a matrix organizational environment where the various ATO and agency divisions (described above) will supplement the specific expansion efforts with either full or part time staff as needs determine. The Deputy Executive Director must also be comfortable working with a team of consultants who are embedded within the organization.

The Deputy Executive Director must be skilled in both civil and systems completion work, balancing the needs with the overall goal of completing the project on time. This role requires excellent communication, schedule-drive mindset, decision-making and influential leadership skills.

• Sound Transit has an annual capital and operating budget of $3 billion and is in the process of delivering one of the largest transit expansion programs in the country.
• Voters in the greater Seattle region approved three-system expansion plans defined in the ballot initiatives known as Sound Move (1996), Sound Transit 2 (ST2 in 2008), and Sound Transit 3 (ST3 in 2016).

These programs authorize ongoing funding for the design, construction, and operations of a fully integrated network of Light Rail, Commuter Rail, Bus Rapid Transit, and Commuter Express Bus systems which, together, will:

• Reshape the landscape of the entire Western-Washington region, enhance economic development.
• Help combat climate change, and improve mobility, livability, smart growth, affordability, and accessibility across the region.

The Sound Transit Team includes highly experienced capital program and service delivery leadership and staff who have successfully delivered and operated the Sound Move program and are moving toward completion of the ST2 program. As the size of the Sound Transit light rail system will more than double over the next two decades, Sound Transit needs to grow its leadership capacity and expertise to deliver on commitments to voters.

Sound Move (1996-2007) represented the first phase of a long-term vision for high-capacity regional transit. The public vote for this initial phase:

1. Authorized the creation of Sound Transit
2. Enacted tax collections for funding the expansion.
3. Established the first set of regional transit projects. These projects were a success and included:

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  • 26 miles of light rail service between Seattle-Tacoma Airport and the University of Washington, with a northward extension to Northgate dependent upon additional funding.
  • Peak period commuter rail from Lakewood and Everett to Seattle.
  • ST Express bus routes linking the region's population and employment centers.
  • Capital investments in transit facilities (such as transit centers and park-and-ride lots) plus HOV direct access ramps that improve bus speed and reliability.
  
  
  
  

Sound Transit 2 (2008-2026) includes substantial additions and betterments to ST Express bus, Sounder commuter rail service, and Link light rail service. Several of these projects are in or nearing the testing, commissioning and pre-revenue operations as we approach revenue operations for each over the next few years. These projects include:

• 36 added miles of Link light rail service north to Lynnwood, east to Mercer Island, Bellevue, and Redmond's Overlake area, as well as south of Seatle-Tacoma Airport.
• Extra service on the busiest ST Express bus routes.
• 4 new daily Sounder round trips on its popular South Line, along with heightened station access and more parking.

Sound Transit 3 (2016-2041 which was realigned to 2046 by the Sound Transit board in 2021), is determined to connect the region's cities and to expand its light rail spine. This program is intended to expand the mass transit network and connect 16 cities with light rail; 30 cities with Bus Rapid Transit and ST Express bus service; and 12 cities with commuter rail. These projects include:

• 62 added miles of light rail that will link a 116-mile system with extensions to:
• Everett via the Paine Field Industrial Center (known as Boeing Field);
• Tacoma via Federal Way and Fife.
• downtown Redmond; Ballard via South Lake Union and Seattle Center.
• West Seattle; and a new light rail line from south Kirkland through Bellevue to Issaquah.
• 46 miles of Bus Rapid Transit on major highways to the north, east, and south of Lake Washington - with service every 10 minutes during peak hours.
• Sounder South capacity expansion - with platform extensions to accommodate trains of up to 10 car lengths and serving some 40 percent more passengers, while extending service from Lakewood to DuPont and installing access improvements at stations along the north and south lines.

ESSENTIAL FUNCTIONS:

The following duties are a representative summary of the primary duties and responsibilities. Incumbent(s) may not be required to perform all duties listed and may be required to perform additional, position-specific duties.

• Implement the rail activation and mobilization phases, ensuring that all necessary resources, personnel, and equipment are ready for the operational launch.
• Adhere to Sound Transit guiding documents related to activation including the Rail Activation Plan and related framework documents, including Systems Integrated Testing to ensure that everything is functioning according to specifications.
• Coordinating with external and internal stakeholders, facilitate communication, and ensure alignment.
• Participate in developing strong project reporting tools to ensure that the mobilization is advancing safely on time, on budget, and compliant with readiness requirements.
• Plan and coordinate all Pre-Revenue Operations and start-up efforts.
• Provide expertise in logistics, planning, developing, coordination, and scheduling of all operational readiness activities at a portfolio level associated with new or expansion of transit systems and other facility improvement projects.
• Work closely with several departments across the agency including Operation, Safety and Security, Asset Management, Quality Assurance, Capital Programs Delivery, Engineering, Customer Experience, Facilities, Passenger Experience, and outside parties including consultants, contractors, and jurisdictional partners to plan and deliver a coordinated program.
• Assist the ED - ATO with presentations to ST executives, as required.
• Participate in and support planning, ramp up, and execution of the various elements of transit system activation.
• Coordinate and/or develop training plans.
• Ensure individual system activation schedules are developed and integrated into Project Master Schedules.
• Balance 3rd party operator resource requirements across expansion efforts in partnership with broader agency resource requirements.
• Develop a comprehensive plan for transition of operations from existing to new facilities covering the areas of, but not limited to Facility Maintenance, Operations, Communications, Finance, Training, and Information Technology.
• Work with subject matter experts in Training, Scheduling, Stakeholder Engagement, Testing, Safety and Security Certification, and Service Deployment.
• Establish and maintain strategic relationships with senior representatives of key stakeholders including the internal departments of Operations, Safety & Quality Assurance, Capital Programs Delivery, Engineering, Passenger Experience, Facilities, King County - 3rd party operator, and outside parties including consultants, contractors, and jurisdictional to ensure all are engaged in the System Activation Program.
• Focus on ensuring technical systems demonstrate readiness to meet their intended purpose.
• Provide an effective framework to support staff operations and systematically track components of all systems.
• Develop mitigation plans to address any issues or deficiencies in the systems along with corrective action plans.
• Perform root cause analysis and continuously apply lessons learned to support continuous improvement.
• Acts as a leader for the Asset Transition Office and as a part of the Program Management & Oversight Office reporting through the Program Management & Oversight Officer to the CEO.
• Schedule and risk management of activation phase, including active management of an integrated schedule with resource management and forecasting.
• Effectively manage relationships to influence achievement of near-term and long-term goals of the division, department, and agency. Includes managing and maintaining a key partnership with our operator, King County.
• Empowers team members, removing roadblocks, and ensuring they have the resources needed to be successful, while creating an inclusive, empowered team.
• Focuses on relationship building and leads collaboration across disciplines and stakeholders involved in all activities related to activation.
• Addresses and resolves sensitive issues, challenges, and conflicts and enables agreement across stakeholders as projects move forward, leveraging influential leadership, and existing activation program structure and decision-making bodies.
• Ensures adequate start-up budget and resources for activation activities is considered by PSO, Operations, and the Project teams and is included in all projects' baseline budget.
• Partners with ED - ATO on management of start-up costs and budget, Operations and the project teams; and is included in all projects' baseline budget.
• Leads and facilitates the Rail Activation Committee (RAC) and activation program structure and acts as the liaison between the RAC and the Executive Activation Group.
• Serves as the single point of accountability and contact for executive leadership and Federal and State oversight of activation activities.
• Provides strategic support to system expansion projects in the planning and design phases, to support future activation and commissioning activities.
• Makes recommendation for revenue service date thru the ED - ATO.
• Secures and manages consultant contracts if needed to support ST staff.
• Provides support to the department, agency, and others on matters as directed.
• Champions and models Sound Transit's core values and demonstrates values-based behaviors in everyday interactions across the agency.
• Contributes to a culture of diversity, equity and inclusion in alignment with Sound Transit's Equity & Inclusion Policy.
• It is the responsibility of all employees to follow the Agency safety rules, regulations, and procedures pertaining to their assigned duties and responsibilities, which could include systems, operations, and/or other employees.
• It is the responsibility of all employees to integrate sustainability into everyday business practices.
• Other duties as assigned.

MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS:

Education and Experience: Bachelor's degree in Public Administration or Management, Transportation, Urban Planning, Civil Engineering, Construction Management or closely related field; Ten years in project management of large engineering and/or construction projects, including professional experience in project controls, project planning, and program management responsibilities; Experience in activation and/or testing of new rail (preferably light rail) extensions; Or an equivalent combination of education and experience. Eight years of leadership, budgetary, planning, and workforce management experience.

Required Licenses or Certifications:

• Valid state driver's license. This role will perform inspections on active construction sites, stations, and facilities, including locations that are not currently served by transit. Driving an agency vehicle will be necessary to monitor construction tasks and respond to emergent situations at any time of day, within assigned projects and project corridors.

Required Knowledge and Skills:

• Managing and overseeing the progress and critical milestones of light rail and other major capital projects as a project moves from conceptual engineering through final design and construction to Operations and project closeout, applying advanced project management and program development techniques and principles.
• Operations, safety certification, maintenance, services, and other requirements of light rail and major capital projects.
• Federal and State requirements for testing, certifications, and approvals necessary to open a rail line or other major capital project.
• Principles of leadership, management, and mentoring/training.
• Critical and strategic problem solving and ability to identify and appropriately respond to sensitive community and organizational issues and concerns.
• Strong, clear written and verbal communication.
• Relationship management skills.
• Ability to develop, manage, communicate, and administer a clear program framework, along with appropriately scaled policies and procedures.
• Transit and transportation systems, operations, maintenance, facilities, and planning.
• Applicable federal, state, and local policies, laws, and regulations.
• Advanced principles and practices of governmental and capital project budget preparation and administration.
• Performing high-level negotiations and collaborating with Sound Transit departments and divisions and with federal and State oversight agencies.
• Risk assessment and management.
• Pertinent federal, state, and local laws, codes, and regulations as they apply to activation.
• Principles of financial management (expenditure tracking, variance identification, and revenue tracking).
• Techniques to work effectively under pressure, meet deadlines, and adjust to changing priorities.

Preferred Knowledge and Skills:

• Activation and/or testing of new light rail extensions.

Physical Demands / Work Environment:

• Work is performed in a hybrid office and field environment.
• Positions working in field may occasionally be exposed to dangerous machinery, extreme weather conditions, physical harm, hazardous chemicals, and/or extreme noise.
• Position is responsible for being on construction sites for inspections, monitoring tasks, and responding to emergent situations; may be subject to bending, climbing, eye/hand coordination, grasping, hearing, kneeling, pushing, pulling, reaching, repetitive motion, sitting, standing, talking, seeing, walking and carrying objects up to 25 pounds.
• Position includes on call and weekend and/or night shifts to respond to situations in the field.
• The Agency promotes a safe and healthy work environment and provides appropriate safety and equipment training for all personnel as required.

Sound Transit is an equal employment opportunity employer. No person is unlawfully excluded from employment action based on race, color, religion, national origin, sex (including gender identity, sexual orientation and pregnancy), age, genetic information, disability, veteran status or other protected class.